Process and plant for thermal decomposition of aluminium chloride hydrate into aluminium oxide

ABSTRACT

A process and its relating plant for thermal conversion of aluminum chloride hydrate into aluminum oxide and gaseous hydrogen chloride. In a first step, aluminum chloride hydrate is fed into a decomposition reactor where it is heated to a temperature between 120 and 400° C. Afterwards, the partially decomposed aluminum chloride hydrate is finally calcined to aluminum oxide at a temperature between 850 and 1200° C. in a second reactor. The aluminum chloride hydrate is admixed with aluminum oxide in an intensive mixer with a mass ratio between 1:1 and 10:1 aluminum chloride hydrate to aluminum oxide for using a fluidized bed reactor as a decomposition reactor.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/542,779 filed Dec. 6, 2021 which is a continuation of PCTInternational Application No. PCT/EP2019/065025 filed Jun. 7, 2019, thedisclosure of each of which is expressly incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

The invention is directed to a process and its relating plant forthermal conversion of aluminum chloride hydrate into aluminum oxide andgaseous hydrogen chloride by partially decomposing the aluminum chloridehydrate in a decomposition reactor by heating to a temperature between120 and 400° C. and then calcining the partially decomposed aluminumchloride hydrate in the calcining reactor to aluminum oxide at atemperature between 850 and 1200° C.,

Aluminum oxide, even with high purity, is often made from aluminumchloride hydrate.

In this reaction, aluminum chloride hydrate is allothermally heated in arector such that the following decomposition reaction takes place:

AlCl₃·6H₂O→0.5Al₂O₃+3HCl+4.5H₂O

As a side product, a gas rich in HCl is produced while the aluminumchloride hydrate is at least partially decomposed in aluminum oxide.This aluminum oxide is often passed to a second reactor wherein athigher reaction temperatures calcination takes place as e.g. describedin document WO 83/04017.

However, the two-step heating is a process with a high energy demand.Therefore, it is known from the state of the art, particularly documentsAT 315 207 and PCT/EP2017/082226, to recycle hot product into the firstdecomposition step. Thereby the hot product is used as direct heattransfer medium and, thereby, recycle energy from the calcination intothe decomposition.

However, such a mixing requires a very good heat and mass transfer.Moreover, good heat and mass transfer coefficients are also needed toreduce the amount of required energy.

On the other side, the number of reactor types which can be used for theprocess described above is very limited since the feed material,aluminum chloride hexahydrate (ACH) is per se a cohesive material knownto be difficult to handle. Aluminum chloride hexahydrate is hygroscopicand tends to form agglomerates. This is even more the cases wherein itcomes from the upstream process as small agglomerates. Also, it quicklystarts decomposing at low temperatures and undergoes hydrolysis when incontact with humidity. Due to this reason it has been not possible touse reactor types with good heat and mass transfer coefficients,particularly it was not possible to use a fluidized bed reactor easily.

Therefore, it is the task underlying the invention to enable the use ofa reactor with very good heat and mass transfer coefficients,particularly a fluidized bed

Such a process for thermal conversion of aluminum chloride hydrate intoaluminum oxide and gaseous hydrogen chloride features a first step ofdecomposing the aluminum chloride hydrate into a decomposition reactorby heating to a temperature between 120 and 400° C., preferably between150 to 380° C. Most preferred is a range between 250 to 350° C. ispreferred, since at a temperature around 350° C. the decompositionreaction is finished and (precalcined) alumina is obtained. Further heattreatment is preferred to happen in the second reactor to avoidincreasing the heat input unnecessarily.

In a second step, the so-called calcining, the partially decomposedaluminum chloride hydrate is heated to a temperature between 850 and1200° C. to form the desired product.

It is the essential idea underlying the invention that before the firststep the aluminum chloride hydrate is admixed with aluminum oxide in anintensive mixer. The mass ratio between aluminum chloride hydrate andaluminum oxide lies between 1:1 and 10:1, preferably between 2:1 and6:1, which is the range wherein the mixture is prevented from formingagglomerates. Afterwards, the resulting mixture is fed into thedecomposition reactor which is preferably a fluidized bed reactor.

The mixer ensures a free-flowing, well conveyable and fluidizable solidsfeed stream. This is required since the ACH is expected to be receivednot in a free flowing form but as a sticky powder possibly containingsmaller (<10 mm) or bigger agglomerates. Sufficient bulk flowability isessential to the whole process, and in particular to ensure a stable andcontrollable feeding to the plant and the treatment in the firstreactor.

This is of particular importance for arrangements with a decompositionreactor designed as fluidized bed reactor, since otherwise no fluidizedbed can be established.

In a preferred embodiment, at least parts of the aluminum oxide from thecalcination are recirculated into the decomposition and/or the mixer.Thereby, it is possible to use the recycled material as a heat transfermedium, whereby it is possible to reduce the energy demand in the firstdecomposition step. Particularly preferred is an embodiment wherein thisrecycled product entering the decomposition or the mixer—typically witha temperature between 600 and 1100° C., preferably 700 and 1000° C. andmost preferably 750 and 900° C.—is the only heat source and not externalenergy has to be used in the decomposition.

A mixing in the mixer has the advantage that the technical effectdescribed with regard to claim 1, namely avoiding of agglomerations, issimultaneously achieved. However, in a mixing with hot material vaporwith relatively high HCl content is formed. As a consequence, a hotmixing in the mixer requires an additional gas cleaning downstream themixer or included therein.

Therefore, it is a possible alternative to recycle hot calcined materialdirectly in the decomposition reactor while cold material is added inthe mixer. This has the disadvantage that an additional recyclingconduit is necessary, but the off-gas after treatment is omitted

A possible source for the recycled material is a bin or any other kindof storage. Nevertheless, the added aluminum oxide preferably also comesfrom the process product and is withdrawn from the decomposition and/orthe calcination. A recycling from the decomposition has the advantagethat the product has a lower temperature and no extensive cooling isrequired for an adding in the mixture without any vapor formation. Ifaluminum oxide is recycled from the calcination, it is preferablyrecycled not directly, but from at least one cooling stage which isforeseen after the calcination.

In each case, the aluminum oxide added into the mixer features atemperature below 100° C., preferably between 0 and 60° C. and even morepreferably below 40° C. at the entrance of the mixture. So, vaporformation is reliably avoided.

Aluminum chloride is produced by crystallization. To remove residual HClafter crystallization and further to reduce free surface moisture,dewatering and/or filtration and/or centrifugation is/are oftenforeseen. From this stage, bulk solids are transported to the processaccording to this invention, e.g. using chain or belt conveyor, bucketelevator or other means. If intermediate storage is used for the ACHfeed, the risk of agglomeration is increased.

In another or complementary design, the aluminum chloride hydrate ispassed through a lump breaker. So, a breakage of any lumps, preferablyto averages diameter <30 mm is achieved in cases the feed containsbigger lumps. This means that the requirements for simultaneouscomminution by the mixer can be reduced or become superfluous.

In this context, also a dryer can be foreseen to reduce the moisturecontent. In turn this reduces the tendency to agglomerate formation.

Typically, the calcination reactor is designed as a fluidized bedreactor, which leads to good heat and mass transfer. However, it is alsopossible to use a rotary kiln, which offers the benefit that it is cheapand easy to handle.

With regard to the use of fluidized bed reactors, it has to bepronounced that among the fluidized bed systems, annular fluidized bedsystems and especially circulating fluidized bed systems lead to evenbetter heat and mass transfer coefficients. Therefore, these are themost preferred reactor types.

Talking about fluidized bed, a number of fluidizing gases are possible.In principal, air is the cheapest and most readily available gas. Usingsteam as a fluidizing gas at least in the decomposition has the benefitthat an over-azeotrope off-gas for (cheaper) acid recovery is achieved.However, if the after treatment of the acid uses a costlier pressureswing adsorption or wet scrubbing, the expensive supply of steam can besaved.

Moreover, a fuel can be added to the calcination to provide thenecessary energy by internal combustion. If a gaseous fuel is used, itcan be part of the fluidizing gas. If a combustion of fuel (gaseous orliquid) takes place within the calcination reactor, it is important toestablish the required combustion conditions, by ensuring good solidmixing and secondary and/or tertiary air penetration up to the center ofthe reactor.

Talking about the off-gas treatment it is preferred that the off-gases,which typically contain at least 90 wt.-% of the produced hydrogenchloride are passed separately from the decomposition and thecalcination to an off-gas treatment due to the different acidconcentration.

Moreover, off-gases should preferably been quenched with water. Thereby,hydrochloric acid is produced which can be sold or used in anotherstage. The quench stage can be coupled to the calcination reactor.

In this context, a passing of the hydrochloric acid from the quenchingto a leaching step is particularly effective, since such a leaching istypically done as a previous step to produce of aluminum chloridehydrate. Moreover, a (wet) scrubbing is possible,

In an alternative or supplemental embodiment, the off-gas treatmentcontains at least one absorption step as an effective gas-cleaning.

The mixing is preferably performed in a mixer with knifes and/orploughshares and/or paddles. So, contained agglomerates are crushed withthe knifes while the ploughshares or paddles ensure a complete mixing.Typical mixer types are a double shaft paddle mixer or a ploughsharemixer

In a mixer containing knifes as well as ploughshares and/or paddles, itis preferred that the knifes rotate at least twice as fast as theploughshares, preferred is more than five times faster, even morepreferred is more than eight times faster, particularly preferred ismore than ten times faster. This leads to an excellent mixing incombination with a sufficient crushing of the agglomerates.

Moreover, a retention time of at least one minute, preferably between 1and 5 minutes, most preferably 1 and 3 minutes, in the mixer improvesthe results.

The invention also covers a plant with the features of claim 15,especially for operating a process according to any of claims 1 and 14.

Such a plant for thermal conversion of aluminum chloride hydrate intoaluminum oxide and gaseous hydrogen chloride comprises a decompositionreactor for decomposing the aluminum chloride hydrate and a calcinationreactor. Both reactors are separated from each other. The essential partof the claimed plant is an intensive mixer which is foreseen upstream ofthe decomposition reactor. Therein, aluminum chloride hydrate is mixedwith aluminum oxide, preferably with a mass ratio between 1:1 and 10:1aluminum chloride hydrate to aluminum oxide. Moreover, the decompositionreactor is a fluidized bed reactor, which becomes possible due to thenew plant arrangement, which prevents agglomeration reliably.

The decomposition reactor is designed such that it is able to heat thematerial to a first temperature while the calcination reactor isdesigned to heat the material to a second temperature being higher thanthe first temperature.

Any features described with respect to the plant may apply and/or beused in the process and vice versa. Naturally, the correspondingmodifications and advantages apply accordingly.

Further aims, features, advantages and applications of the inventionwill become apparent from the following description of the accompanyingdrawings. All of the described and/or depicted features, by themselvesor in any combinations, form the subject matter of the invention,independently of whether they are defined in the individual claims ortheir dependencies.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a process flow diagram of the method in accordance with theInvention.

FIG. 1 shows the principal design underlying the invention. Wetaluminium chloride hydrate is passed via conduit 111 into the mixer 110,where it is intensely mixed with aluminium oxide, which is introduceinto the mixer 110 via conduit 112.

Afterwards the mixture of solids is passed through conduit 113 into adecomposition reactor 120, which is designed as a fluidized bed reactor.Further, its fluidization gas, preferably steam, is introduced viaconduit 121.

The produced rich HCl gas, typically but not necessarily with an HClcontent of above 30 vol.-% is passed via conduit 123 in an HClabsorption 140. This absorption stage 140 features preferably at leasttwo stages, whereby conduit 123 is preferably connected to its firststage.

Via conduit 122, a product stream of the decomposition reactor 120,typically containing a mixture of already calcined Al₂O₃ and AlCl₆·6H₂O,is passed into calcination reactor 130. Therein, often a gaseous fueland/or liquid fuel is introduced via conduit 136 as energy source.Conduit 135 feeds an oxygen source into the calcination reactor 120. Viaconduit 137, quench water is added. Via conduit 134 and 138, a coolingmedium, preferably water, is recirculated in and out of the calcinationreactor 130. The final calcined product Al₂O₃ is withdrawn via conduit133 and further passed into at least one cooling stage 150 and furtherdischarged via conduit 152.

Via conduit 132, a lean HCl gas, often but not limiting with an HClcontent of less than 7 vol.-%. is passed into the HCl absorption 140,preferably its second stage.

If the absorption stage 140 is designed as a two-stage absorption, HClsolution withdrawn via conduit 141, while a first off-gas is withdrawnvia conduit 142. Process water for the first stage is added via conduit143 and withdrawn via conduit 144. Cooling water is injected by conduit145 and withdrawn via conduit 146. From the second stage of the HClabsorption 140, an off-gas is withdrawn via conduit 147, while processwater is added via conduit 148. Cooling water is recirculated viaconduit 149 and 151.

For increasing energy efficiency, it is preferred that via conduit 131,parts from the calcination reactor 130 are passed into the decompositionreactor 120. Alternatively, but not shown, it is also possible to haveonly one withdrawing of Al₂O₃, from which a recycling stream into thedecomposition reactor 120 is branched off.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the aluminium oxide addedinto the mixer via conduit 112 is part of a product stream from adownward device. As one example amongst others, it is shown that partsof the product from the cooling stage 150 are withdrawn via a conduit153 and fed into conduit 112.

Not shown in FIG. 1 but complementary or alternatively it is possible towithdrawn parts of the products form the decomposition reactor and/orthe calcination reactor 130. It is also thinkable to have a branch-offin any conduit transporting an intermediate or the final product likeconduit 122, conduit 131, conduit 133 and conduit 152. It is alsopossible to adjust the temperature of the recirculated stream by atleast one additional and not shown cooler.

REFERENCE SIGNS

-   110 mixer-   111-113 conduit-   120 decomposition reactor-   121-123 conduit-   130 calcination reactor-   131-138 conduit-   140 absorption stage-   141-149 conduit-   150 cooling stage-   151-153 conduit

1.-16. (canceled)
 17. A plant for thermal conversion of aluminumchloride hydrate into aluminum oxide and gaseous hydrogen chloridecomprising a decomposition reactor for decomposing the aluminum chloridehydrate and a calcination reactor for calcining the partially decomposedaluminum chloride hydrate to aluminum oxide, characterized by a mixerwith knifes and/or ploughshares and/or paddles, wherein the aluminumchloride hydrate is mixed with aluminum oxide and that the decompositionreactor is a fluidized bed reactor.
 18. The plant according to claim 17,wherein the decomposition reactor is designed such that it is able toheat the material to a first temperature while the calcination reactoris designed to heat the material to a second temperature being higherthan the first temperature.